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O's use their first pick on high school lefty Gonzalez

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2014 Draft Recap: Orioles 1:19

MLB.com weighs in on the Baltimore Orioles' selections in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft

By David Wilson
/
MLB.com |

The Orioles used their first pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, a third-round choice and the 90th selection overall, to bolster their biggest weakness and add Brian Gonzalez, a left-handed pitcher from Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Fla.

Gonzalez is currently committed to play at the University of Miami as a pitcher and first baseman.

A 6-foot-3, 230-pound Miramar, Fla., native, Gonzalez is not ranked in MLB.com's Top 200 Prospects for this year's Draft, but he has a fastball that sits in the high 80s and has been recorded as fast as 91 mph.

The Draft concludes on Saturday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at 1 p.m. ET.

In 2013, Gonzalez was named a Perfect Game Underclass All-America first-teamer, and he took part in the USA Baseball 18U National Team Trials. On Wednesday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel named Gonzalez its Broward County Class 5A-4A-3A-2A baseball Player of the Year.

During Archbishop McCarthy's recent playoff run, Gonzalez threw the first complete game of his college career, and it happened to be a no-hitter. The next time out, Gonzalez threw another no-no.

"A no-hitter on top of a complete game was surreal," Gonzalez told the Sun-Sentinel.

Gonzalez finished his senior year 10-1 with two saves in 17 appearances for the Mavericks. He recorded a 0.50 ERA with 129 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings. At the plate, Gonzalez posted a .342/.495/.539 slash with 18 RBIs, 14 runs and three homers.

Gonzalez is ranked as the No. 21 player in Florida by MaxPreps, and No. 105 overall.

David Wilson is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.